No. 7 Eagles Host New Brunswick to Open Season on Saturday

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – No. 7 Boston College opens its 98th season of men's hockey on Saturday (Oct. 5) with a 2 p.m. exhibition contest against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds at Kelley Rink. Admission is free to fans and live stats are available at the link above.

PRESEASON FAVORITE
• BC was selected as the preseason favorite in Hockey East, according to the annual coaches' poll released at Hockey East Media Day at TD Garden
• It marks the second straight season and third time in the last five years that the Eagles have been picked to win the league
• The Eagles received eight of a possible 10 first-place votes (a head coach is not allowed to vote for his own team) and finished with 97 points in the poll

CLASS OF 2023
• The eight-member Class of 2023 features five 2019 NHL draft picks, the most for BC at a single draft in a decade, and a program-record three selections in the first round
• Forwards Matt Boldy (MIN) and Alex Newhook (COL) and goaltender Spencer Knight (FLA) were all selected in the top 16 picks of the opening round
• BC became just the fifth program in college hockey history to have three players taken in the first round of the same draft
• The trio gives Boston College 21 first round picks all-time in program history

LEADERSHIP DUO
• Senior David Cotton was voted as the captain of the team for the 2019-20 season, while classmate Graham McPhee was selected as the assistant captain
• A Second Team All-American last season, Cotton is coming off a career year with 23 goals to lead the league
• Cotton also led Hockey East with eight power play goals and was named to the All-Hockey East First Team and the New England All-Star Team
• McPhee skated in 29 games as a junior with three goals and six assists, but missed the final nine games of the season due to injury

THE HALL OF FAMER
• Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach Jerry York, the winningest coach in college hockey history, will be formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, Nov. 18 in Toronto
• York becomes the fifth NCAA coach to earn the honor, joining Lou Lamoriello (2009), Herb Brooks (2006), Bob Johnson (1992) and John Mariucci (1985)
• The 1967 Boston College graduate has won five national titles and posted 1,067 victories in his nearly five decades as a Division I head coach at Clarkson, Bowling Green and BC
• He won his 600th game at BC during last year's Hockey East Semifinal, becoming just the fifth Division I coach to win 600 games at the same institution
• In 25 seasons at his alma mater, York has led the Eagles to four NCAA titles, 12 Frozen Fours and nine Hockey East Tournament championships

SCOUTING NEW BRUNSWICK
• New Brunswick went 25-5 last year and won its eighth University Cup, beating defending champion Alberta 4-2
• The Varsity Reds have won 12 straight Atlantic University Sport (AUS) regular season titles and back-to-back tournament championships
• Alexandre Goulet has already scored four goals in two games this season, including a hat trick last Friday in a 9-3 win at Saint Mary's
• Gardiner MacDougall enters his 20th season as the head coach at UNB and is the only coach in AUS history to win 400 games

RECORD NESN DEAL
• The Eagles will set a new school record by appearing at least 16 times on NESN or NESNplus this season, including nine home games beginning with opening night at Kelley Rink against Wisconsin
• Hockey East announced a league record TV package with NESN, which will carry up to 50 men's games and 15 women's games during the regular season and as many postseason games as possible
• NESN will carry the first round and title game of the 68th Beanpot at TD Garden on Monday, Feb. 3 and Monday, Feb. 10 as BC opens the tournament against rival Boston University at 8 p.m.
• NESN will also broadcast both Hockey East Semifinals on Friday, March 20 and the 2020 Hockey East Championship Game on Saturday, March 21

EAGLES IN THE NHL
• A total of 14 former Eagles have earned spots on opening night rosters in the NHL as the 2019-20 regular season is underway across the league
• All but one of those players remain with the same team as forward Kevin Hayes begins his first season with the Flyers after signing a seven-year deal in Philadelphia
• 22 former BC players appeared in at least one NHL game last season, which was tied for the most among NCAA schools with Minnesota
• Former Eagles combined for 577 points on 229 goals and 348 assists along with 35 games played in net

WHO'S NEXT
• Boston College hosts No. 16 Wisconsin at Kelley Rink on opening night next Friday (Oct. 11) at 7 p.m.
• The game will air live on NESNplus and WEEI 850 AM

No. 7 Eagles Host New Brunswick to Open Season on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Matt Boldy

David Cotton

Spencer Knight

Graham McPhee

Alex Newhook